Indigenous leaders slam Abbott and Dutton’s ‘racist’ banter

Cape York indigenous leader Gerhardt Pearson was not impressed by Mr Dutton’s remarks.Source:Supplied

CAPE York traditional owner Gerhardt Pearson has slammed the comments of a senior federal minister as “soft bigotry”, after private banter was recorded by a television cameraman.

In what has been dubbed #boomgate, Prime Minister Tony Abbott was captured on camera yesterday chuckling at Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s joke about Pacific Islanders, which has been slammed as “vulgar”, “racist” and “morally irresponsible”.

In an unguarded moment, Mr Dutton quipped that a late-running Canberra meeting was on “Cape York time”, a reference that has been interpreted as insulting to the region’s indigenous people.

Mr Abbott replied: “We had a bit of that up in Port Moresby.”

Mr Dutton added: “Time doesn’t mean anything when you’re about to have water lapping at your door,” prompting laughter all round — until Social Services Minister Scott Morrison noticed the ABC cameraman’s boom above their heads.

Houston, we have a problem.Source:news.com.au

Mr Pearson labelled the conversation “one of soft bigotry and low expectations”, saying the attitude was reflected in the Government’s policies. The reference to “Cape York time” portrayed Aboriginal people as “lazy good-for-nothings”, he said in a statement posted on Twitter.

“Dutton’s joke using this tired old stereotype reminds me of how white superintendents ran our lives — dressed in their safari jackets and white helmets, pipe in their mouths, hands in their pockets — and how they would look down at my hardworking grandfather, mother or brother, as if they were his slaves,” the statement said.

Aboriginal Labor senator Nova Peris said the references to “Cape York time” and “water lapping at your door” were disrespectful and made “a mockery of their commitment to north Australia”.

Mr Abbott had just returned from talks with Pacific Island leaders in Papua New Guinea when the gaffe took place. He also recently visited Cape York as part of a week spent in remote Indigenous communities.

The president of the Pacific Island republic of Kiribati, Anote Tong, told the ABC Mr Dutton’s joke showed “moral irresponsibility” and that the minister should “search his own soul”.

“What kind of a person is he?” Mr Tong, a longtime advocate for global action on climate change, asked. “As long as there is this kind of attitude, this kind of arrogance in any position of leadership, we will continue to have a lot of tension. I find that extremely sad, extremely disappointing that we are making jokes about a very serious issue.”